


Scaregiver, Not a Caregiver

by ExaltedBrand



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Anxiety, Awkwardness, Bad Flirting, Comfort, Crushes, Cute, F/F, Fluff, Inner Dialogue, Introversion, Misunderstandings, Tea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:26:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26747329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExaltedBrand/pseuds/ExaltedBrand
Summary: After a series of all-too convenient 'mishaps', Bernadetta realises that Felicia is actually an assassin out to kill her. Felicia tries to reassure her otherwise.
Relationships: Bernadetta von Varley/Felicia
Comments: 15
Kudos: 26





	Scaregiver, Not a Caregiver

**Author's Note:**

> in which two bundles of nerves attempt to be slightly less nervous in each other’s company
> 
> Pairing suggestion from VioletBlade

Two knocks on the door, fast and sharp, broke the silence in Bernadetta’s room, and every bone in her body froze as she peeked out from beneath the heavy layers of blankets.

“Um… Bernadetta?” came a voice. “You in there? I-I wanted to talk, if… if that’s okay…!”

Oh, it was a convincing act, alright. Very well prepared. Full of concern, soft enough to be comforting, quivering at just the right moments. But the knocks didn’t say ‘I’m worried about you, Bernie,’ or ‘I just want to talk, Bernie,’ or even ‘I’m sorry, Bernie.’

No. They said something else.

 _Too late_ , they said. _It’s too late to run, Bernie. I’ve come to get you, Bernie. You might as well give up, Bernie._

There were an awful lot of things Bernadetta didn’t like about being in Askr, or serving as a member of the Order of Heroes. She hated the constant fighting; hated being stuck in an unfamiliar world without all her little comforts; and hated the expectation—no, even the obligation—to interact with complete strangers who just _wouldn’t_ _leave her alone_. Oh, she hated it. Hated all of it.

Sure, sure – things hadn’t been that wonderful in Fódlan’s Officer’s Academy, either. She’d been pushed into classrooms with so many different people, and she’d never liked the group assignments her professor sprung on her without warning. She’d felt anxious, she’d felt lost, and she’d wanted nothing more than to hole herself up inside her room all day, every day, and wait out the year in peace and quiet.

But at least in Fódlan, she’d never had anything like _this_ …!

“Hello…? Bernadetta…?”

At first, she hadn’t realised it. The woman calling herself Felicia—one alias among thousands, probably—had been subtle. Manipulative. Cunning. She’d managed to fool poor Bernie – made kind conversation, respected her personal space, acted so warm and gentle and innocent. She’d used every trick in the book to play to her blind spots, her weaknesses; exploited every insecurity Bernadetta had to pretend that she was also insecure, also riddled with doubts, also shy and awkward… and lonely.

Bernie—stupid, trusting, _idiot_ Bernie—had almost believed it. Almost believed the woman’s smiles, her nervous giggles, her forwardness.

“I-I know you’re upset with me,” the voice said, “and – and I’m really, truly sorry… Could you open the door?”

The voice had picked up in urgency; dressed up anticipation in worry and sympathy. But Bernadetta wasn’t going to fall for it. She wasn’t going to let her in.

She wasn’t going to say anything at all, in fact. She wasn’t here. She’d just… locked her door from the inside. Somehow.

Oh, it was _hopeless_ …! Of course she was here! How couldn’t she be here? Silly, thoughtless Bernie…! All this time dodging death, and she’d learned nothing! How could she have been so careless…?!

Felicia had been kind to her, yes. She’d been sweet, and friendly, and lovely – and all those different sorts of words.

But it was all an act. A trick. A carefully constructed plot in pursuit of one terrifying goal.

Someone had hired this woman to kill her!

It was the _obvious_ conclusion! Over the past few days around her, Bernadetta had suffered more frights in her downtime than she’d suffered scars on the battlefield! She’d had boiling hot tea spilled on her head, a plant pot dropped from a high window just inches from where she’d been walking, a volley of plates launched at her like throwing knives as Felicia had ‘tripped’ on thin air… and somehow even worse!

The first time it’d happened—when Felicia had almost toppled into her during a conversation, lunging forward with a murderous shriek—Bernadetta had tried to find an easier explanation. When the adrenaline had subsided, the nerves had mostly faded away, and she was safe in the security of her locked room, she’d wondered if it might have been an accident. A simple misunderstanding. Maybe Felicia _wasn’t_ trying to grab her so that she could stuff her into a bag and drown her or torture her or kill her. Maybe she really had just lost her footing, or had felt faint and fallen down.

But as it kept happening, again and again and again in such a short span of time, the truth became clear. There was no way that Felicia was just extremely clumsy. No possible chance that all these incidents could have been accidents and nothing more. No-one was that unlucky – not even Bernadetta herself!

No. Bernadetta had realised she was dealing with a twisted, inhuman, relentless killer. She was being hunted, and this woman—this monster—wouldn’t stop until she’d achieved her goal. That was why she was here now. She’d failed before, and had come to finish the job!

Another two knocks. Another call.

“H-hello…? Hellooo…?”

For the last few attempts on her life, Bernadetta had been faster than Felicia. She’d had a lifetime to practice running away, and she always had caution running through her mind, an instinct of fight or flight—but mostly flight—ready to spring at a moment’s notice. But now, she had nowhere to run. She could only bury her head in the blankets and await the inevitable.

“Bernadetta, I know you’re – oh, gosh, you’re not asleep, are you…? I hope – I didn’t mean to… Oh, no…”

She heard an awkward shuffling of footsteps outside: Felicia’s metal soles stumbling against stone. Light shifted under the door in a constant motion, and Bernadetta realised that the maid—no, the assassin, not the maid; the cunning, ruthless assassin—had started to pace nervously up and down.

Distress. Actual, proper distress.

Could it have been…?

No. No, of course it wasn’t. It was an act. All part of making Bernie trust her; making Bernie think she was like her; making Bernie think she was anything but a killer-for-hire! She wasn’t going to fall for it. She was going to stay right here, quiet as a mouse, and let everything slip away naturally. She’d close her eyes, and Felicia would eventually break down the doors with a knife in hand, and she’d plunge Bernadetta into the sweet embrace of—

“I-I’ll… I’ll just come back later, okay?” she heard Felicia say. “Or not at all. I can just leave you be, if you want. You’ll never have to see me again – o-or, well, I’ll try not to… intentionally run into you, at least… We’re both members of the Order, so I can’t make promises, but…”

The voice trailed off, and Felicia’s pacing drew to a halt. She held there outside for a moment, casting her shadow through the crack in the door, and sighed, long and exasperated.

“Oh, you idiot – mucking everything up, making everything so difficult… It’s no wonder no-one likes you; no wonder no-one wants to go near you… You can’t do anything right…”

A- _ha_! Her true colours, at last! Mocking Bernie, insulting Bernie, just wanting to get Bernie over with so she could move onto her next job, like wiping an insect off her soles…! Well, she could come and get her! Poor, defenceless Bernie wasn’t going anywhere! She _couldn’t_ go anywhere! But if Felicia thought insults were going to get her prey to come out, or give herself up, she was wrong!

But the voice went on muttering to itself, barely more than a whisper; and Bernadetta had to draw her head out of the covers and crane her neck to make out the words.

“Stupid, stupid Felicia… Maybe Prince Leo was right… Maybe I should just slink away, find another job… I’m not caring for her, I’m… I’m _scaring_ her… Scaregiver, not a caregiver… _Hah_. Oh, that’s awful…”

What?

It was… all a trick. Of course it was. Felicia was an actress who played her part to perfection. It was just a way of getting dumb, gullible Bernie’s guard down so she could – so she could…

Slowly, hesitantly, Bernadetta sat up in her bed, letting the covers fall down to her shoulders.

Felicia had sounded… genuinely sad. Hadn’t she?

There was a pause, a strange moment of silence – and then Felicia began to walk away.

“W-wait!”

The word tumbled out of Bernadetta’s mouth before she could stop it, or think about it, or wonder if she should really have given herself away. The phrase rung in the air, hanging over them, and Bernadetta clapped a hand to her mouth, as if to take it back.

But what was the point? Felicia knew she was here. She was going to die no matter what she did. Might as well accept it, right? Welcome it with open arms…!

She lowered her hands, and the footsteps grew louder again.

Oh, but this was a bad idea. This was a really, really bad idea…!

“Bernadetta?” Felicia’s voice was louder, more hopeful. “Are you there?”

Bernadetta stood up off her bed, taking a few nervous steps towards the door.

“I’m… I’m here,” she mumbled.

“Oh, thank goodness… I-I thought – well, I’d worried that… I’m sorry. It’s not important.”

She sounded so kind; so concerned.

_Don’t fall for it, Bernie. Don’t fall for her pretend, no-good kindness…!_

“Do you want me to stay out here?” Felicia asked. “It’s no problem. I’d hate to get too close and mess things up again, in fact… hah hah…”

Bernadetta hesitated. “I’d… rather you did, if that’s okay…”

“Of course.” Felicia’s smile—slight and understanding—was audible in her voice. “Could we talk, at least…? I feel like I’ve really upset you, and I didn’t mean to, and it’s all my fault, and… and…”

“S-sure,” Bernadetta said. “Just… don’t come inside…”

“I won’t,” Felicia promised. “I’ll just stay here, okay? We can talk like this.”

“O… Okay…”

She heard Felicia sigh, followed by the sound of her slumping against the door.

“I really am sorry,” Felicia said softly. “I’ve been mucking up so much around you these past few days. Jakob and Flora—t-that’s, um, that’s my sister—have always said I’ve been cursed with clumsiness… Hah…”

Another sigh, deeper than the last.

“I just wanted to help,” she continued. “I really did, and I messed it all up – and now I must look like some kind of… of maniac. Dropping stuff on you, falling over into you… skulking outside your door and apologising over and over again. I’m so sorry, Miss Bernadetta.”

_It’s all an act, Bernie. Don’t be lured in._

But how couldn’t she be when Felicia was saying all the right things?

“You… wanted to help?” she echoed.

“W-well, I…” Felicia trailed off, then swallowed. “I like helping _everyone_ , really. Even when I’m no good at it, and I’ve got two left feet, and… and everything goes so, so _wrong_ … I still want to care for others. As a maid, I mean.”

She sounded… earnest. Like she really meant all of this. But that didn’t make any sense…

“I… couldn’t help but notice you, Miss Bernadetta. Everyone else in the Order is always so happy chatting away with each other, going to gatherings, enjoying themselves… but you seemed so lonely. You only came out of your room for meals, and – and, w-well, whenever you were needed for training, or a battle. You were quiet, and shy, and not great around others – and I thought, ‘hey, I know what that’s like…!’ So, um… I wanted to help. To look after you a little. I-I tried talking with you, brought you some tea, picked up your plates… I even kept an eye on you from my room’s window as you walked about, just to make sure you were alright. Oh, but it all went so wrong each and every time. Me and my stupid hands and feet… I’m a ditz. A useless, clumsy ditz…!”

“Felicia,” Bernadetta said, almost involuntarily. “Um… don’t cry. Please.”

“I’m not,” the maid sniffed. “I’ll… I’ll be alright. I just – I’m sorry, I…”

“No, no, it’s… it’s fine…”

Bernadetta felt all her natural defences breaking down. Why was she falling for this performance? Why was she so willing to trust Felicia?

Why was she considering actually opening the door to this… this _assassin_?

“I’m sorry,” Felicia said, sniffling once more. “I’ll… I’ll go. I’ll…”

“N-no – wait!”

_Don’t do it, Bernie. It’s a trick. It’s a trap. You’re being manipulated by a devil in a maid’s outfit! Don’t give in!_

She heard Felicia stop in place again.

_No. Shut up, brain. I’m in charge here. Not you._

“I’m sorry,” Bernadetta continued. “I shouldn’t have run off screaming like that every time you messed up. I just… overreact sometimes. It’s nothing personal. A-and the fact that you were trying to look out for me… I appreciate that. Really.”

“You… You do?”

“Yeah. No-one’s ever really – I-I mean, my classmates at the Officer’s Academy tried their best, but… I guess I’m just a hard person to talk to. So, um… thanks…”

Felicia was silent for a moment, then managed a few nervous giggles.

“Well, I… That’s good. You’re very welcome. I’m happy to help – one introvert to another, right…? Hah hah… Haaah…”

Silence again. Bernadetta stared at the door, and a silly thought raced through her mind.

“I… suppose I could let you in…”

Should she?

No, no, she couldn’t. It’d be stupid, and reckless, and downright suicidal.

“It’s okay,” Felicia said. “If you’re not ready, I understand.”

_You can’t be like this forever, Bernie. You need to trust someone. You need to let them in. Even if they’re scary, or it feels like they’re trying to kill you, or… any of that stuff. You need to try._

“No… I… I want you to come in,” she murmured. “Just… just hang on a sec…”

Her hands found the latches that kept the door sealed shut, and she slowly undid all four of them, one by one. Her hands were shaking, and she was sure that this was a terrible idea, and any moment now she’d feel the knife plunging into her chest—

But nothing happened. Slowly, the door opened – and there was Felicia, standing in the dimly-lit hallway with her fingers nervously interlaced.

“Hi,” Felicia said.

“H-hello…”

A long silence passed between them, broken only by Felicia’s last few sniffles and the soft thudding of Bernadetta’s heart.

Her smile was so lovely, Bernadetta thought. Like a reassuring ray of sunlight on a gloomy day outside, or a nice, warm hug.

“Is it okay if I step inside?” Felicia asked, finally speaking up.

“S-sure.”

Felicia took a few steps into the room, paying close attention to her footing, and Bernadetta closed the door behind her. She kept it unlatched, watching for any sudden movement. Just in case she needed to make a quick escape.

“It’s… really cosy in here,” Felicia said. “It’s a little like my room back home, actually. Oh, look…! You’ve even got a teddy bear just like mine. That’s nice…”

Felicia’s voice was dreamy and soft. She seemed so content, so relaxed… so unmenacing.

Maybe she wasn’t lying. Maybe she wasn’t a killer.

“Y-you… have one too?” Bernadetta asked.

Felicia’s expression turned confused. “A room? Well, of course… Our king isn’t the nicest man, but he at least gave us a place to—”

“No, no, not that. I mean…”

Bernadetta paused, feeling her cheeks burning, and tapped her fingers together. The fear she’d once felt around Felica had become an odd sort of embarrassment.

“You have a… a teddy bear?”

“Oh! Oh, yes…! So sorry… I misunderstood completely.” Felicia shuffled awkwardly in place, but her smile returned quickly. “He’s such a dear, actually. My sister sewed him up for me when I was little, and I’ve been keeping him in good condition ever since.”

“Aww. That’s sweet…!”

Yes, it was sweet. Or – or it was a clever, despicable detail in a fake backstory, designed to win Bernie over and lull her into a false sense of security!

The former. It was the former.

Felicia giggled. “He’s about the only thing I don’t break by touching. I’ve still probably dropped him more times than I’ve actually held him, but… he’s made of stronger stuff than that. And now he’s keeping an eye on the castle while we’re gone.”

Felicia’s smile grew at the thought – that same dreamy look as before. There was something in it that reassured Bernadetta; a small fragment of herself, even if it was just a shared love for some silly childhood toy.

Trying to cast off her tension, she took a step towards Felicia.

“Do you… want to sit down? I-I don’t really have a lot of space, but the bed’s comfy enough…”

Felicia nodded. “Sure. Just here…?”

She perched herself cautiously on the edge of the bed, and Bernadetta did the same, keeping just enough of a distance so that she’d have time to react—to escape—if Felicia attacked.

_Oh, come off it, Bernie. You’re being ridiculous. She likes teddy bears! How can anyone who loves and cherishes teddy bears be bad?_

For a few moments, they didn’t say anything. It was almost awkward: a sheepish exchange of glances, a clumsy shuffling of legs as they tried to strike a balance between relaxed and polite. But there was also something else – a strange sense of comfort in the calm and quiet. The same feeling that came from being bundled up next to a crackling fireplace, or holding a hot drink on a chilly morning.

But it was still a little cold. Maybe if she moved closer to Felicia – just a little closer…

_No, no, no – stupid Bernie! That’s just what she wants! You’ll be drawn in, then grabbed, then killed!_

She smelled so nice, though. And she seemed so attentive and caring. It’d be great to just relax for a change… Lie down in her lap and—

_No! Bad thoughts, Bernie! Bad!_

She had to think of something to say. Something to stay focused.

“Um…”

Felicia looked at her. There was that smile again – slightly gentle, slightly nervous. Someone who was a lot like her, really, but was trying their best to look out for her and keep her company, even if it meant stepping outside their comfort zone. Someone who was trying to keep her from being alone.

Well, Bernadetta quite _liked_ being alone. All she needed was a stuffed animal, and a warm blanket, and a door locked up tight – without anyone to disturb her or drag her out for practice or force her onto a battlefield.

But… maybe just this once, she could make an exception.

“Y-your tea was nice,” she said. “Back then, I mean… I never really got a chance to say anything, of course, but… yeah…”

She’d only meant it as a way of breaking the silence; a compliment without much thought put into it. But at her words, the maid’s eyes lit up.

“Really?” Felicia asked. “You mean… the tea I spilt all over you…?”

“Well, yeah. But… but the part I tried was good…!”

A total lie. The tea had been so bitter and horrible and weirdly spicy that she’d been sure Felicia had been trying to poison her. Maybe she _had_. Maybe Felicia thought she was mocking her – mocking her for the failed attempt, mocking her for underestimating Bernie’s fortitude!

No… no. That was stupid… and regardless, she couldn’t possibly tell Felicia that she’d mistaken it for poison. Not when the compliment had made her so… so happy.

She didn’t want to take that away from her. Not when Felicia being happy made her feel happy; even stirred up a swell of emotions she couldn’t parse.

“O-oh,” Felicia said, a faint blush forming on her cheeks. “That’s… Thank you, Miss Bernadetta. I’m so glad it wasn’t a total waste… Usually takes me five or six tries just to get it right! I-I thought about asking Flora, or even Jakob, but I wanted to help you out myself. Be independent for a change. Of course, I mucked it all up by tipping half the pot over you… and then some.”

“Could’ve been worse,” Bernadetta offered. “Could’ve… well, you could’ve _killed_ me… Heh heh… That wouldn’t have been great.”

“Yeah. I suppose that _would_ have put a dent in your day…”

There was a pause. Then, for some reason she couldn’t understand, Bernadetta started giggling.

It was a lovely feeling. A lightness in her chest, a warmth in her heart. The room seemed a little brighter, the air fresher. Felicia joined in, a little nervously at first, and then her giggles came more easily, as if relieved.

“It’s okay,” Bernadetta said. “To be honest, I make a lot of mistakes too. I mess up measurements when I’m cooking, I always prick myself when I’m sewing… and ooh, don’t get even get me started on tea. Getting so close to the fire, hearing the water boil so furiously… I don’t know how I could manage it. So the fact that you can make tea at all is amazing to me.”

_Yes, Bernie – yes, that’s it! Lay on the praise, and make her think twice about killing you!_

“I-I don’t think I’m that amazing…” Felicia said, but her eyes were brighter than ever, and she was blushing furiously. “Flora’s the amazing one. Ah, you should try _her_ tea – it’s so flavourful. Next to hers, all I make tastes like pondwater. She’s amazing at everything, really…”

Felicia looked down at her feet, twisting her hands in her apron.

“I… I mean, okay, maybe she’s not perfect. I’ve seen her drop plenty of stuff, too! But… she’s just like magic when she’s focused. It’s all so easy for her…”

“But you try hard,” Bernadetta said, surprised to find herself comforting Felicia. “I-I think that’s the important thing! And it’s not just about whether you’re good or bad at making tea, or carrying plates, or any of that. You’re kind, and sweet, and beautiful, and—"

She swallowed. Beautiful? Had… Had she just said ‘beautiful’?

_AAH! She’s a temptress, Bernie; a temptress! She’s working a spell on you! A hex! Cast her into the fireplace now, before it’s too late!_

Thankfully, Felicia had paid no mind to it; taken the word as part of the whole, not as a compliment on its own. A faint smile played on her lips, and her eyes were glistening.

“Well…” she began, “I think I could still try to be all that even if I wasn’t a maid… but thank you, Miss Bernadetta. That’s really nice of you to say.”

“Oh, um… You can just call me Bernie, by the way. I’ve never been much for… being formal…”

She could feel herself slipping away; tumbling right into Felicia’s trap.

What trap? What was she talking about? Why couldn’t she just shake this stupid misunderstanding away?

“Bernie…” Felicia murmured, trying out the name. “Aw, that’s cute. I like it…!”

“Th-thanks.” Bernadetta cursed herself for going even redder in the face.

“Oh! You know, I’ve – I’ve just had a wonderful idea,” Felicia said. “You stay right here, Bernie; I’ll be back in just two shakes of a leg! Or two trips…”

Before Bernadetta could get a word in, the maid leapt off the bed and hurried out the door. It was amazing she hadn’t tripped over herself in the rush.

Where was she going? What was she getting?

Bernadetta gasped. Her weapons? Her torture tools? Her knives?

_She’s going to kill you, idiot! Don’t just sit there waiting! Run away – now, while you still have the chance!_

But…

But she didn’t want to run away from her. Even if it killed her, she wanted to see Felicia again; to see that beautiful, pitiful, terrifying, gentle, clumsy girl who couldn’t even dust a statue without knocking it over and breaking it.

How could someone so clumsy be a killer?

How could someone so caring be a killer?

How could someone so beautiful be a killer?

It wasn’t possible. It was impossible, right?

Right?

Minutes passed in seconds. The door opened again, and Felicia stepped carefully into her room, holding something between both her hands. Something… terrifying.

Oh, no. Oh no, no, _no_! She really had fetched her torture tools! And not just any old torture tool – the worst of them, the most painful of all!

_A tray of tea!_

“I made you something,” Felicia said, nudging the door shut behind her with a brief bump of her hip. “I’ll set it down there on your desk – don’t come close until it’s down, okay? If I spill it, I-I don’t want it to go all over you… Hah hah…”

Bernadetta watched as Felicia slowly made her way towards her desk, struggling to maintain her grip on the tray. At last, though, she set it down without mishap, breathing a heavy sigh of relief. Then, she took several long paces back, as if afraid of spilling the tea even when she wasn’t touching it.

“Is… Is it okay to come close now?” Bernadetta asked.

“Should be…! …Probably!”

It was the least convincing ‘probably’ she’d ever heard.

But it was fine. It was all fine. Everything was fine. She’d just stand up, walk over to her desk, and try the tea. Felicia was standing at a distance. There was no possible way anything could go wrong.

Unless she was hiding a knife behind her back, and the moment Bernie turned her back to start drinking, she'd—

No… That was dumb.

Unless…

Unless Felicia had poisoned the tea! Maybe she’d used a colourless, odourless substance that—

No. That was also dumb. Felicia wasn’t like that. She wouldn’t try to kill her.

Would she?

Felicia just wanted her to have some tea. Felicia wanted to… to spend time with her.

With a racing heart, Bernadetta walked over to the desk and sat down, tucking her chair in. She reached out for the handle of the teacup…

_No! It’s a trick! Of course it’s a trick! She’s trying to lure you into a false sense of security so she can strike when you let your guard down! That’s what she does! She kills people! She’s probably killed so many people!_

“Is… Is something wrong?” Felicia asked. “Oh – is it too hot? I can use my ice powers to… No, I probably shouldn’t get too close…”

_She’s getting closer. Why’s she getting closer? Does she want to see the fear in her victims’ eyes? Does she want to see them quiver, broken and hopeless?_

“O-oh, it’s nothing,” Bernadetta said. “It’s just… I just…” She sighed. “I’m being silly. Never mind.”

Felicia took another step closer, her brow furrowed in confusion and concern.

“Are you sure?”

_She’s trying to read you like a book. She’s trying to learn your weakness so she can cripple you, destroy you, crush you under her boot as you beg for mercy! She’s trying to learn your secrets so she can use them against you—_

_Oh, shut up. Shut up, shut up, shut up!_

_She’s just being kind. She’s just trying to help. She… she cares about you, Bernie._

_Isn’t that nice? Having someone care about you?_

Felicia had stopped where she was, not daring to come any closer. She was respecting Bernadetta’s boundaries; respecting her personal space.

_You’re fine. You don’t need to worry. There’s nothing to fear. Just drink the tea, Bernie. Just drink the tea…_

She wrapped her fingers around the cup’s handle, and drew it close to her. She lifted it to her lips, tilted her head, and drank.

Oh. Oh, goddess.

It tasted… worse than last time. It was sharp, and bitter, and she was pretty sure Felicia had mistaken salt for sugar.

She took another sip. And another. And another.

It really was gross. Not just pondwater; sea water. Like sticking her head in the ocean and just gurgling it all up.

So why was she enjoying it?

Because Felicia had made it for her. Because Felicia cared for her.

Because Felicia… liked her…

She couldn’t think that way. Felicia was a demon, a liar, a killer, not—

_Shut up. Just enjoy the tea. Just enjoy the tea and the feeling. Don’t overthink it._

Somehow, she managed to finish every last drop, setting the cup back into its saucer with a clatter. She glanced to the side, and Felicia was still smiling at her. That kind, sweet, beautiful smile.

“Well?” Felicia asked. Her voice shook with nervous anticipation. “What’d you think?”

“Oh… well… it was…”

Bernadetta couldn’t think of a word bad enough to describe it.

But why say anything bad? Why kill Felicia’s mood and ruin the moment they’d been having by running her stupid mouth?

Felicia had been so nice to her. She hadn’t asked for anything in return, or done anything to make her uncomfortable besides a few silly mistakes. And she was trying. The maid was really, earnestly trying to not make her feel so… so alone. So far away from Fódlan, and the Academy, and her old room, and her other teddy bear with the cute armour and the adorable felt helmet…

“It was great,” she said, returning Felicia’s smile. “Th-thank you, Felicia. For making it, I mean. And… and for being here.”

Felicia breathed another sigh of relief – a high, unsteady sound that broke out into giggles.

“That’s… Phew. That’s good… I thought for sure I’d messed something up. But – but thinking of you, focusing on you like I focus on Lady Corrin… I think that really helped me, Bernie…!”

There was that welling of emotions again; the feeling in Bernadetta’s chest that she just couldn’t understand.

She thought, briefly, that it might be okay to let Felicia into her room again. If she wanted to come in, of course.

Though maybe, just maybe, she could ask the professor to give Felicia a few pointers in brewing tea before then…

**Author's Note:**

> A G-rated story? From me? Say it isn't so!
> 
> I played around with a few smuttier angles to this one (and I’ve left shades of some of those angles in wherever they felt cute enough to keep), but this was the approach I was the most fond of in the end. That said, there’s clearly a little something going on there between them… so maybe we’ll be seeing them again in the future.
> 
> As an antidote to all this lovely wholesomeness, I’m now very tempted—with the new banner—to do a quick something featuring Plumeria. So, if there’s anyone you want to see Plumeria give a few indecent dreams to (and since it’s all dreams, it can even be someone I’ve already written about without interfering without any of my trusty cross-fic canon), let me know.


End file.
